


Whether Ice Is Nice

by mmmdraco



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Ficlet, Fluff, M/M, Snow and Ice, Walking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 01:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6591097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmmdraco/pseuds/mmmdraco
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric Bittle hates winter. He shouldn't because it's the best time to eat pie still warm from the oven and there's the skating besides, but Georgia is the worst about it. Because driving.</p><p>When he visits Jack's family up in Canada in January, though, he wonders if maybe he should have gone to Florida for college, acceptance and Jack be damned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whether Ice Is Nice

**Author's Note:**

> I've tried to be good about regional slang here, but fuck if I'm not still a New Yorker despite having lived in North Carolina for decades.

Eric Bittle hates winter. He shouldn't because it's the best time to eat pie still warm from the oven and there's the skating besides, but Georgia is the worst about it. Because driving.

He lives far enough from Atlanta that he doesn't have to deal with those roads much on the rare occasion that there's bad winter weather, but Madison is almost worse just because there isn't enough traffic to keep the roads warm. Skating on ice is glorious like the closest you can get to flying while staying on the ground, but driving on it? He'd just rather not, thank you very much.

Up at Samwell, there's a lot of public transportation so the most he has to worry about is walking from the Haus to the bus and Mama got him some little elastic things that go on over his shoes to give extra traction so that's no problem because that's also a city that knows it's going to get snow and prepares for it ahead of time. (He's a little put out that one of his favorite pairs of jeans are looking rough around the bottoms because of the salt they put out to keep the ice melted.)

When he visits Jack's family up in Canada in January, though, he wonders if maybe he should have gone to Florida for college, acceptance and Jack be damned. "It's cold enough to spit hail up here!"

Jack just reached over to adjust Eric's hat to cover the tips of his ears as they take a walk in what apparently counts as the sunshine. "It's only about 10 below. It's winter. What do you expect?"

Pulling his arms around himself, Eric scowled. "In Georgia, we rarely have ice stick around outside because it stays just a bit too warm in the winter. I like that. I feel like I shoulda worn thicker britches and maybe heated underpants."

Raising one eyebrow, Jack shook his head. "You complain when I use too much French, but there are plenty of your Southern words I don't always understand at first."

"I try not to use too many of 'em, but some people are so ornery about my accent that I feel the need. I had one gentleman come up and ask me for directions on how to get to the post office and complained that he couldn't understand 'redneck' so I just pulled it all out. The post office was over yonder just a mite if you went catawampus and all that. He looked half-crazed when I got done with him, but everything's got a vernacular." Eric scooted closer to Jack as he talked until their arms were touching which at least seemed to make him feel warmer. 

" _Tabernak_. And here I told my maman that you were a nice boy." Jack slid his arm around Eric, pulling him closer so that his gloved hand could rub against Eric's opposite shoulder.

"I am!" Eric shivered. "Southern hospitality's a thing, honey. But when we say 'bless your heart', well sometimes that's just to ask forgiveness for what we really wanna say instead."

Jack snickered softly as they walked, looking out over the thin layer of snow that Eric had proclaimed 'frozen tundra' as they began walking. "You know, they do make all kinds of things meant to help keep you warm in this weather. You just never want to wear layers."

Kicking at a clump of snow, Eric sighed. "I just want perfect weather all the time. I'm picky. Like with that blueberry pie at that place last night? Those are not the blueberries I'm used to but I think it was the crust that ruined it for me. I use butter and I think they might have actually used lard. For a blueberry pie. That's just crazy."

"You drive me crazy." Jack let his fingers lift just enough to trace a line behind Eric's ear, making him squirm slightly. "I can't believe you hate this weather so much when you're a hockey player."

With a snort, Eric hip checked Jack. "And if I could wear skates out here, it'd be different. But ya'll Canadians are plum nuts sometimes. I hear about these polar bear plunges and other nonsense and it makes me long for the sunshine."

"I think you need to try maple taffy. It'll change your mind on the snow." Jack checked the time and shrugged. "We have time to get some before my parents are expecting us back."

"Maple taffy? Why would that change my mind about snow?!" Eric shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, rubbing his hands against his arms to try to warm up.

Jack shrugged. "They heat up the maple syrup and then pour it over fresh snow and then roll it around a stick. It's delicious."

"That's insane." Eric turned to look up at him. "But as long as they serve this inside, I'll try it."

Smirking, Jack picked up his pace slightly. "You know, if you had just let me drive, you wouldn't be so cold."

"I've seen you drive on ice, Mr. Zimmermann. Your style on the road and in the rink are a little too similar for my liking." 

Grabbing Eric's hand and pulling him down a side street, Jack shook his head. "You're the one who spins. I just get out on the ice and tell it who's boss. Besides, we'll get back and have dinner and you'll warm up fast enough."

"I expect to be warm before dinner!" Eric covered his mouth in apology for his outburst with his free hand and then pulled his fingers away to grin. "You could help with that."

Jack shrugged. "I could. And I could also buy you hot cocoa with your maple taffy."

Eric sighed happily. "I knew I kept you around for more than your hockey butt." He reached over to pinch Jack's butt and yelped when he slid on a patch of ice and started to skid forward.

Sweeping Eric into a hug, Jack kept him from falling. "Pay attention to more than my butt and maybe you'll be okay."

With a huff, Eric wrapped his arms around Jack. "And here I was thinking that maybe the ice wasn't so bad after all."


End file.
